Putin Says Russia Won’t Threaten Other States With Its Advanced Weapons

Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council in Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 23, 2019. (Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky/Kremlin via Reuters)

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Wednesday that Russia’s new weapons have no equivalents, but claimed he won’t use them to threaten others.

Putin said in a meeting that “we plan to build up our defense capability, commissioning hypersonic, laser, and other new weapons systems that other countries don’t have,” The Associated Press reported.

“Yet it’s not a reason to threaten anyone,” he added.

The Russian president said that the new weapons systems were created exclusively to “ensure our security in view of the growing threats.”

According to Russian state-run TASS, he said that Moscow will continue to expand its defense potential while promoting disarmament.

“Our army and our fleet have proven their high capabilities, and we plan to continue expanding our defense potential, putting hypersonic and laser systems on alert along with other modern arms systems, which other countries do not possess so far,” Putin said, according to the news outlet.

“On the contrary, we are ready to do everything in our power to promote disarmament taking into account or new arms systems, whose only goal is to guarantee security among the growing threats we are facing,” the Russian leader remarked.

Russia test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile from a new nuclear-powered submarine, the defense ministry said, describing the test as successful (Russian Defense Ministry)

The comments come after Russia test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from a new nuclear-powered submarine, Russia’s defense ministry said, describing the test as successful.

A video posted by the Defense Ministry shows the vessel launching an RSM-56 Bulava missile from a submerged position in the White Sea, according to the TASS news agency on Oct. 30. The missile reached its target on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East region.

“For the first time ever, a seaborne Bulava ballistic missile was test-fired from the latest Project Borei-A strategic missile-carrying submarine Knyaz Vladimir,” the ministry said, according to the state-backed news agency.

The Russian Ministry of Defense posted a video of the apparent test on YouTube.

The Bulava’s “dummy warheads reached the range within the established time, which was registered by data recording equipment,” the ministry added.

The firing area was closed down for shipping, the report said.

Russian P-800 Onyx missile firing. (Russian Ministry of Defense via Reuters)

According to the Moscow Times, the missile was fired from the Knyaz Vladimir submarine, which is expected to be supplied to the Russian navy in December. Russia is planning to construct about 10 other similar submarines by 2027.

The Knyaz Vladimir will carry up to 16 ICBMs of the RSM-56 Bulava type. Each missile is expected to carry between four and six nuclear warheads, the Moscow Times noted.

In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the country’s military to conduct a “symmetrical response” to a recent U.S. test of a cruise missile.

Putin said he told the government to “analyze the level of threat posed by the aforementioned actions of the United States toward our country and take comprehensive measures to prepare a symmetrical response,” CNN reported.